As the tumult of the great Vaishnava sacrifice unfolded, fear gripped the hearts of those assembled. Cries rang out, "Save us, save us, O wielder of the mace!"—for the Lord of spirits, Maheshvara, had sent forth one of his mighty Pramathas, a fierce leader among Shiva’s hosts, who set the entire sacrifice ablaze as Hari, Lord Vishnu, looked on. Witnessing this destruction, Hari could not remain silent. He unleashed his divine discus, intending to strike down the Lord of spirits. But Maheshvara, with effortless power, caught the whirling discus as it sped toward him. The guardians of the worlds, seeing even Vishnu’s weapon subdued, were seized by terror and fled. In this moment of dread, Daksha, joined by the other gods, turned to Shankara with heartfelt devotion, seeking to save the sacrifice. He praised the great god with fervor: "Victory to you, Shankara, Lord of Soma! Victory to you, all-knowing Shambhu, bearer of auspiciousness and embodiment of time! Salutations to you, primal creator, blue-throated one, beloved of Brahma, and very embodiment of Brahma! O god of three forms, supreme lord of the three abodes, foundation of the three worlds, bestower of all desires, I bow to you! You who are known through Vedanta, supreme self, embodiment and abode of sacrifice, giver and receiver of offerings, destroyer and bestower of sacrifices and their fruits—save us, O Lord of the universe, lover of those who seek refuge! Whether devoted or not, you alone are our sanctuary!" Pleased by these earnest praises, Maheshvara appeared and asked Daksha, "What boon shall I grant you?" Daksha replied, "Let my sacrifice be fulfilled, O Lord!" The blessed god of gods, Shankara, soul of all beings and ocean of compassion, granted his wish: "So be it." With his blessing, the sacrifice was made whole again. Then, Maheshvara vanished with his spectral retinue. The gods, their purpose accomplished, returned to their celestial abodes. Yet, peace was short-lived, for soon a great conflict erupted between the gods and the demons. Overwhelmed by fear of their powerful foes, the gods once more gathered and, with all their hearts, praised Janardana, the Lord of Fortune. They extolled Lakshmi, whose heart is ever devoted to Vishnu’s feet, and sought refuge in that supreme Lord—whether as the mighty Garuda-rider or as the fierce Narasimha—knowing none in all the worlds was his equal or superior. Moved by their devotion, the blessed Lord Vishnu, bearing conch, discus, and mace, appeared before them and asked, "For what purpose have you all come? I am the doer of that." The gods replied, "O Madhusudana, we are gripped by intense fear of the demons. O Janardana, resolve to protect us!" But Hari replied, "My discus has been taken by Hara; what can I do, as my discus is gone? You have all come in distress—return now to your abodes, and I will see to your protection." Once the gods departed, Vishnu, determined to regain his discus, journeyed to the banks of the sacred Godavari. There, with unwavering devotion, he worshipped Shambhu, Lord Shiva, offering a hundred thousand golden lotuses, fragrant and divine, to Umāpati. As the worship progressed, a remarkable thing occurred: among the thousand lotuses, one could not be found. Undaunted, the slayer of demons plucked out his own eye and, placing it in the vessel for arghya, offered it as a lotus to Shambhu, meditating deeply upon the Lord, seeking no other refuge. With tears in his eyes, Vishnu prostrated himself and cried, "O God, you alone know the innermost heart of men; you alone are the refuge and Lord—what need is there for further deliberation?" Moved by such devotion, Shiva appeared before Vishnu, together with Bhavani. Embracing Vishnu, Shambhu bestowed upon him many boons. Vishnu’s discus was restored to him, and his eye was made whole again. The hosts of gods, witnessing this divine reconciliation, joyfully praised Hari, Shankara, Ganga—the best of rivers—and the bull-bannered god. From that time, that holy place became known as Cakra-tirtha. Merely hearing its sacred story is said to free one from all sins. Whoever bathes there, gives gifts, or offers oblations to the ancestors is cleansed of all sins and attains heaven with their ancestors. Even today, that holy place marked by the discus is visible to the faithful. After Cakra-tirtha, the holy place called Pippala is celebrated—where the Lord of the discus regained his divine weapon. It is at Cakra-tirtha that Vishnu himself stood and worshipped mighty Shankara to recover his discus. Where Shambhu was pleased with Vishnu is known as Pippala, a place of such greatness that even the king of serpents cannot fully describe it. Thus, the names Cakra-tirtha and Pippala are tied to these wondrous events—listen, O Narada, as I recount this, for it is declared directly in the Veda. In that region dwelled the renowned sage Dadhīci, virtuous and wise. His wife, Lopāmudrā, was noble and devoted; her sister was Gabhastinī, also known as Vaḍavā. Gabhastinī was ever dear to Dadhīci and practiced great austerities, while Dadhīci himself was steadfast in his household duties, radiant with ascetic fire. They lived by the sacred Bhāgīrathī, ever welcoming gods and guests, delighting in each other, peaceful like another Kumbhayoni. By Dadhīci’s power, neither Nāras nor Daityas and Dānavas dared approach that land, where Agastya’s hermitage stood. It was here that the gods assembled—Rudras, Ādityas, the Aśvins, Indra, Vishnu, Yama, and Agni—having vanquished the Daityas who threatened them. Rejoicing in their victory, praised by the Maruts, the lords of the gods approached Dadhīci, the best of sages, and bowed to him in reverence.